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Imperator-class battleship
The Imperator-class battleship, commonly referred to as the Imperial cruiser, is a heavy capital warship that saw service with both the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire. An iconic warship class designed by Lira Wessex and built by Kuat Drive Yards, the Imperator-class, along with the Stormtrooper Corps, was one of the most visible symbols of the Imperial Military throughout the galaxy during the reign of the Galactic Empire. The Imperator-class was originally used by the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars, and served alongside the Venator-class cruiser in a few task forces during the conflict. It was at the time one of the largest warship classes in the Republic Navy. It later became a mainstay of the Imperial Navy, and was also fielded to a lesser degree by the Empire's successor-states. Design The Imperator-class has a total length of 1,600 meters, with a beam of 975 meters. The distinctive wedge-shape of the vessel's spaceframe is derived from the ancient ''Harrower''-class dreadnoughts of the Sith Empire. One of the Imperator's most visually distinctive features was a large elevated bridge tower which followed a design similar to that of many other KDY warship classes. The two globes atop the bridge tower served two purposes: aiding both in hyperspace communication and deflector shield generation. The proximity of the deflector shield generators made the bridge tower one of the most protected parts of the ship despite its seemingly vulnerable position. Propulsion For sublight propulsion, the Imperator relies on an array of three primary ion engines produced by KDY specifically for the vessels. Secondary propulsion systems include four Gemon-4 ion engines and a number of emergency thrusters. The primary ion engines are capable of accelerating the ship with a force of several thousand g for brief periods of time. The Imperator is powered by a massive I-a2b solar ionization reactor which is positioned directly below the command tower on the ventral spine. The reactor module features catastrophic release braces, allowing the crew to eject the module should it become necessary. Auxiliary reactors are located to the port and starboard sides of the main reactor and the three reactors are connected to the main engines. In addition, the backup engines were connected to additional reactors as well. As designed, the Imperator-class equips a Class 2 hyperdrive with a Class 5 emergency backup. However, KDY's practice of subcontracting out the design to meet Imperial demands leads to occasional design quirks: ships built by the Corellian Engineering Corporation were considerably faster, both in realspace and hyperspace. Armament and defenses The Imperator-class battleship possesses a main battery of six heavy turbolasers and two heavy ion cannons, arranged in four dual mounts flanking the ship's dorsal superstructure. Numerous smaller and medium guns are mounted around the ship to ward off attacks by lesser ships not capable of being targeted by the main battery. They varied in size; some were designed as point-defense cannons to destroy incoming missiles and starfighters while others engaged lesser capital ships. Some ships, such as Emancipator, were refitted with proton torpedo launchers. Three triple-gun turrets were mounted on the ridge of the ship, just forward of the lowest terrace of the dorsal superstructure. History Republic origin The Imperator-class was designed as a massive, powerful, mid-sized warship, and appeared in limited numbers during the Clone Wars, where it served in several Republic task forces. As the war began to intensify in 981 ARR, the production lines of new Imperator-class battleship and ''Tector''-class heavy carrier expanded, while the lines for the older, lighter ''Venator''-class slowed down. The first vessel of the class, launched in 978 ARR, was named the Executrix, while the second was the Exactor, which later served as the first personal flagship of the Imperial enforcer Darth Vader. There was also an Imperator among the Mk.I models, sharing the class name. Imperial service Imperator-class battleships had a distinguished career in the Imperial Navy, where they symbolized the Empire's military might (for better or worse). Eventually, these battleships rendered older vessels, like the Venator-class battlecruiser, obsolete. The Imperator-class eventually became infamous as the prime enforcer of Imperial rule, and often served in the role of a peacekeeping battleship. According to official records, over 25,000 were eventually produced. The Navy's immense demand for capital ships led Kuat Drive Yards to subcontract the design out to various other shipwrights, which occasionally led to a number of design quirks: vessels of the class built by the Corellian Engineering Corporation were considered the fastest ships in the Imperial Navy, both at sublight and hyperspace speeds. Many battleships were destroyed in the fratricidal warfare that consumed the Empire after the death of Emperor Palpatine at Endor in 1004 ARR, while others defected or were captured over the years. Category:Daisy-023 Category:Spacecraft Category:Parallels Category:Imperial Entanglements